1. Where can I get more information?
See the list of organizations on this website that are working toward the same objective. Get on their mailing list. Many have detailed information about events, bills under consideration, and other information that will help you be as active as possible.
2. Isn’t it important to have the “right” Candidate?
Yes, of course. The ideal candidate is committed to truth and democratic values. But It’s a rare candidate whose position on every issue matches yours. In 2018 there will only be two major party candidates on the ballot—a Democrat and a Republican. Our goal in 2018 is to have more voters vote for the candidate with a “D” after his or her name regardless of whether they are a progressive, a democrat, independent or even a registered Republican. Everything we do now for 2018 will be helpful in 2020 when the entire House, another third of the Senate and the Presidency will be on the ballot. Plus everything we do to energize the base will be helpful in resisting the damage that is occurring daily. In November 2016, Democrats had the opportunity to vote for Hillary or lose the Supreme Court and much of the federal judiciary for the foreseeable future. Those who voted for third parties or didn’t vote helped elect Trump. We will have another chance in 2018. This time we will be unified. We have to put 2016 behind us and unite Democrats and Progressives. Otherwise we lose again.
3. What can we do between now and 2018 to stop some of the roll-back of women’s rights and clean air and clean water environmental protections?
Be persistent and tireless in letting your elected representatives know where you stand. Every Congressman has to run for re-election in 2018. They do listen to people in their district even if they disagree with them. The repeal of the healthcare law failed because Congress got the message from both ends of the spectrum that people were upset to hear 24 million people were going to lose coverage so the wealthy could get a big tax break. Writing letters, marching, editorials, phone calls and other active forms of participation do matter. This website lists some of the organizations you can contact to keep up with opportunities to make a difference.
4. What can I do about Congressmen who are not in my district?
The second thing we did was to reach out to everyone we knew both in our District and across the country to begin fighting to resist the Republican roll-back of every progressive gain since FDR in 1932. It is not enough to just focus on our own district. We have to help remove and replace Republican incumbents with Democrats— District by District until we become the majority in 2018. We only need to “flip” two dozen districts from the “R” team to the “D” team to take back the majority in the House. There are at least half a dozen such districts in Blue State California we need to change. If you have friends in other parts of California or other parts of the nation, share with them what you are doing. Encourage them to make themselves heard in their District. In this way, we can create a “ripple” effect that can change everything in 2018 and 2020.
5. How can I register to vote?
Easy! Click here and go online to register! It will take you to a site that has lots of information about registering.